PRCC Shelby Speights Award of Leadership, Courage and Valor awarded to leader both on and off the playing field

Pearl River Community College recognized Moses Cummings of Purvis as the first recipient of the Shelby Speights Award of Leadership, Courage and Valor. The award is in honor of PRCC alum Speights who was one of several students who left the classroom for the battlefield during World War II. Speights, a graduate of Purvis High School, enlisted in the United States Army and requested to be transferred to the frontlines. Approximately 70 days later, Sergeant Speights had earned five Silver Stars, two Bronze Stars, five battle stars, and a battlefield commission to Second Lieutenant. He participated in the invasion efforts in Italy and Southern France. He exemplified how a person’s greatest legacy can be found in what they are willing to sacrifice for others. The Shelby Speights Award of Leadership, Courage and Valor was created to honor individuals who exemplify the qualities that defined Speights’ service.

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